Berger Trip. Personal top tips requested
- Thread starter Ian P
- Start date
Subpopulus Hibernia
Active member
Everyone goes on about the Canals, but I though the Cascades were a much more strenous bit of passage - about 100m of increasingly airy bridging and traversing with a roaring stream beneath you. My foot slipped out of a muddy foothold here and I fell onto my cowstails and smacked into the opposite wall. Got up and kept going to the bottom, but felt the impact later on.
David Rose
Active member
The canals are easy in normal conditions. It's true, the cascades are much more demanding, with some awkward diagonal prussiks. Someone mentioned having three cows tails. I had a snaplink on my footloop as well as a short and a long cowstail, and this was useful in this section of the cave.
Andy Sparrow
Active member
Dead right about the bivi kit, spare clothing and food. Make a personal emergency kit and keep it with you at all times! There have been incidents where a shared bivi kit has benefited the caver stuck at the bottom of the pitch when the cave flooded, but was no use at all to the hungry, shivering chap marooned at the top! I used a rucksack rather than a standard caving bag which enabled me to carry an ample emergency, brew and bivi kit in comfort - the cave is virtually all walking.
psychocrawler
Member
Smallest stove you can find and boil. You don?t have to use water from the river as there is plenty of percolation/small inlet water available.
Agree about the big light (it?s a cave worth seeing rather looking at you toes all the time), don?t bother camping (get fit instead and less crap to carry) and the boat at Lake Cadoux (just in case, and don?t let anyone else mess with it, as it is quite a big swim with a bag if it comes up).
The bottom section from Hurricane is outstanding.
Agree about the big light (it?s a cave worth seeing rather looking at you toes all the time), don?t bother camping (get fit instead and less crap to carry) and the boat at Lake Cadoux (just in case, and don?t let anyone else mess with it, as it is quite a big swim with a bag if it comes up).
The bottom section from Hurricane is outstanding.
Subpopulus Hibernia
Active member
From my 2017 post-trip write up...
Water
Earlier trip reports stress the importance of adequate hydration, with the 2006 report suggesting that 3 litres was only enough to get you to the bottom and that puritabs, boiling, or a water pump would be required to provide further drinking water. The report also suggested drinking large amounts of water prior to entering the cave to hyperhydrate and thus delay dehydration. We tried this to some extent, but forcing ourselves to drink water made us feel a bit sick.
On the deep trip we each carried in 3l of water. We stashed another 1.5l bottle of water at the foot of Garby?s for dehydrated cavers to use on the way out. Another extra 1.5l bottle was left at Camp 1. We carried puritabs to purify any water that we refilled from the stream.
Surprisingly, we drank less than a litre on the way to the bottom, and didn?t finish off the remaining two litres on the way back up. The water left at Camp 1 and Garby?s was not required and was simply poured onto the floor to save weight. We were probably a little bit dehydrated on exiting the cave, but this was no big deal.
Water
Earlier trip reports stress the importance of adequate hydration, with the 2006 report suggesting that 3 litres was only enough to get you to the bottom and that puritabs, boiling, or a water pump would be required to provide further drinking water. The report also suggested drinking large amounts of water prior to entering the cave to hyperhydrate and thus delay dehydration. We tried this to some extent, but forcing ourselves to drink water made us feel a bit sick.
On the deep trip we each carried in 3l of water. We stashed another 1.5l bottle of water at the foot of Garby?s for dehydrated cavers to use on the way out. Another extra 1.5l bottle was left at Camp 1. We carried puritabs to purify any water that we refilled from the stream.
Surprisingly, we drank less than a litre on the way to the bottom, and didn?t finish off the remaining two litres on the way back up. The water left at Camp 1 and Garby?s was not required and was simply poured onto the floor to save weight. We were probably a little bit dehydrated on exiting the cave, but this was no big deal.
David Rose
Active member
If you do it as a bounce trip, it's a good idea to have a tent, sleeping bags, water and at least some snacks at the entrance so you can have a snooze and a rehydrate there before walking back to the car, which is mostly uphill. I got out at about 3am and resting until 7 or so was pleasant; we got back to Autrans in good time for a nice breakfast.
psychocrawler:
Agreed; in fact I thought that this was the best part of the cave, for its sheer grandeur of underground scenery ? very atmospheric.
I also agree with David Rose's post just above ? I got out after a 19-hour trip at about 1 a.m., and must have been a bit disorientated, as after walking 'back to the camp' I found myself standiing on some cliffs looking out over Grenoble.
Agreed; in fact I thought that this was the best part of the cave, for its sheer grandeur of underground scenery ? very atmospheric.
I also agree with David Rose's post just above ? I got out after a 19-hour trip at about 1 a.m., and must have been a bit disorientated, as after walking 'back to the camp' I found myself standiing on some cliffs looking out over Grenoble.
Mark Wright
Active member
On nearly all of my recent bottomming trips I've camped both on the way in and out. Its a fantastic experience and well worth the extra hardship of carrying more gear. If you are taking all the other bivi gear anyway then a few extra meal packs won't cause too much discomfort. Most of the extras you take in are only heavy on the way in. A decent lightweight sleeping bag is only bulky.
A good meal and head off to the Molliere from Autrans around 8pm. You can be tucked up in bed at Camp 1 by midnight.
The good night's sleep ends when it ends and after breakfast you can head off to the bottom. So long as you have confirmed by radio that the weather is suitable before you set off there should be no possibility of any flooding issues further into the cave.
You've then got all day to have a steady trip to the bottom, or wherever you fancy and back to Camp 1. You should be out by early/mid afternoon on the 3rd day and straight down to Autrans for a pint or two.
I agree the lower part of the cave is spectacular, particularly below Hurricane. The French are currently exploring some interesting new leads above Hurricane.
I think the whole place is spectacular so make sure you have a good lamp and have a good look round.
Mark
A good meal and head off to the Molliere from Autrans around 8pm. You can be tucked up in bed at Camp 1 by midnight.
The good night's sleep ends when it ends and after breakfast you can head off to the bottom. So long as you have confirmed by radio that the weather is suitable before you set off there should be no possibility of any flooding issues further into the cave.
You've then got all day to have a steady trip to the bottom, or wherever you fancy and back to Camp 1. You should be out by early/mid afternoon on the 3rd day and straight down to Autrans for a pint or two.
I agree the lower part of the cave is spectacular, particularly below Hurricane. The French are currently exploring some interesting new leads above Hurricane.
I think the whole place is spectacular so make sure you have a good lamp and have a good look round.
Mark
yrammy
Member
Also - we camped and it was an interesting experience for a first time underground camper. Three of us caved together and agreed that if any one of us had had enough we would all go back. We did not bottom the cave as the least experienced person became uncomfortable. So, know your limits. Bottoming it is not essential! Getting out in one piece is.
Mark Wright
Active member
The Berger book project has a stash of about 90'ish hangers and 7mm long maillons that future trips are more than welcome to borrow. Simply replace anything you break or lose.
PM me or MarkS to get hold of them. I think MarkS has them in his garage.
Mark
PM me or MarkS to get hold of them. I think MarkS has them in his garage.
Mark
